Highlights From The 2018 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony

The 2018 Winter Olympics officially began Friday night in Pyeongchang, South Korea with the opening ceremony. This year’s Winter Olympics is the biggest in history, with 92 countries and over 2,900 athletes competing. Last night’s opening ceremonies caused a buzz on social media, with some interesting occurrences happening during the ceremonies. So here are some of the events that sparked the greatest interest.

Vice President Mike Pence Sat Near Kim Jong Un’s Sister

Pence and Kim Yo Jong were seated in close proximity to each other during the opening ceremonies. Pence was aware of his seating placement, and his aide said that he didn’t have any concerns regarding the seating arrangements. Kim Yo Jong’s appearance at the event is historical in itself, as she is the first member of the ruling dynasty of North Korea to visit South Korea since 1953. In other Pence headlines, he also didn’t stand for the Korean Olympic delegation during the ceremony.

Tongan Flagbearer Pita Taufatofua Went Shirtless- Again

After being eliminated in the first round of taekwondo during the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, Taufatofua decided to pick up a new sport- cross-country skiing and ended up qualifying for this year’s Winter Olympics. He, of course, carried the flag for Tonga and became a hit on the internet once again.

Team USA Walked Out To “Gangnam Style”

A few Olympic Teams were lucky enough to be able to walk out to “Gangnam Style” being played in the stadium, and Team USA was one of them. Team USA had a lot of fun with it, as it’s been a popular song ever since it’s release in 2012. Team USA also has the largest contingent of athletes, with 242 competing in the Olympics.

The Winter Olympics are going on now until February 25th and can be watched on NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network and the Olympic Channel.

Author:
Caitlin Wills is a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder with a BA in journalism and a minor in creative writing. She has written for various websites including The Odyssey Online and The Tempest, and currently writes album reviews for MXDWN. She is also an avid fiction writer and is working on writing a novel. Follow her on Twitter @caitlinjherrera.